Lunar Eclipse
by z3ro cool
Summary: The effects of a lunar eclipse bring about unexpected changes to everyone's abilities and leaves Sylar in an unstable state that must be dealt with. Set after "The Eclipse, Part 2".
1. Prologue: Changes

**Prologue: Changes**

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**Author's Note: **So, this is my first venture into the realm of Heroes fanfiction, hopefully I'll do it right. As always, please read and review. I'd really like feedback on this, especially about characters. As I've never written with these characters before, I'd like to know if they don't sound like themselves.

**Disclaimer: **Heroes and all of its associated content are property of Tim Kring. I am making no profit from this whatsoever.

* * *

Sylar and Elle lay on the darkened beach as Sylar found the right words to say. "That was temporary, and then I got my powers back. And I understand now, that I'm never going to change. Neither are you, because we're both just damaged goods."

Elle looked at him with fear and a sudden understanding in her eyes. He pressed his weight against her and kissed her softly, just once. "You're hurting me," she whispered.

"I know," Sylar replied, almost remorsefully. Lifting a nearby rock, he slammed it against the side of her head. The world around her went black and Sylar's face slid out of view.

Sylar stood slowly, looking down at Elle's motionless body. He doubted anyone would find her here on this godforsaken beach. There was no one around now, and it didn't appear that there were any roads leading to the beach. Dropping the rock next to her body, he turned to leave. "Goodbye, Elle. It was fun."

* * *

Six hours later, Elle awakened to a creamy white hospital room. It was dark outside, early morning. Her head ached more than anything she had ever felt. The rest of her body was fine. She lay on top of the blankets on the small hospital bed. Her wounded leg had been taken care of, and was tightly bandaged. She pressed down on the call button attached to her left pointer finger.

A young nurse entered the room a few minutes later. She smiled cordially at Elle. "Hello, Ms. Bishop. Glad to see you're awake."

"Yeah, me too. How did I get here? I was on a beach," Elle said as she struggled to sit up straight.

The nurse came to her bedside and adjusted the bed so that Elle could sit up at the waist. "You were. A group of teenagers went there to hang out and found you. Called the police and EMTs. You're lucky. Without medical attention, you probably would've died."

Elle smiled and nodded slowly. "Very lucky, it sounds like. How soon can I leave?"

"Oh no, you've only been here a few hours, Ms. Bishop," the nurse began. "The doctors will probably want to observe you for a few more days. And then there's the police. They'll want to talk to you soon as well. Come to think of it, I think they're actually waiting for you to wake up. I'll just run and get the detective."

The nurse patted her arm before turning and leaving the room. Elle removed the call button from her finger, and pulled the sensors off of her arms. She yanked the IV needle out of her right arm and stood shakily. She couldn't speak to the police. She needed to go. The window wasn't an option, from the view outside she was clearly on the third floor and a fall wouldn't help her healing leg.

Walking to the adjoined bathroom, Elle found a spare pair of what appeared to be nurse's scrubs. She pulled them on and pulled her hair back in the mirror. The right side of her face was bruised and stung when her fingertips grazed it. She quickly tousled her hair and moved it so that it covered this side of her face, and the bruising.

Moving out of the room, Elle wandered down the hall quickly. Her attempt to look like a nurse worked wonderfully and she soon found herself in an elevator heading to the ground floor. She put a smile on her face and walked to the information desk she came to as she exited the elevator. "Hi, excuse me. It's my first day, and I can't remember which way it is to the parking garage?"

The older man at the desk nodded sympathetically. "You're not the first today. We're hiring so many new people these days. If you head out the double doors over there and keep going left, you should see it at the end of the sidewalk. There are attendants in the deck that can help you find your car if you don't remember what section you parked in."

"Thanks so much!" Elle said as she turned and walked quickly in the direction the man had indicated. She found the parking deck with no problem and sought out the section labeled for extended stay guests. She chose a neutral colored minivan and wasted no time in hotwiring it. Elle sat in the minivan looking at her reflection in the rearview for a minute as she considered her options.

Pinehearst would kill her if she returned without Sylar. The Company wouldn't take her back at this point, after all the destruction she had caused for them. She breathed a heavy sigh as she put the van in reverse and backed out of the parking space. She was headed for Costa Verde.

* * *

A knock on the door awoke Claire, who lay resting on the couch in the Bennet's family room. It was late. The clock on the DVD player read 11:52, and she doubted her father was expecting any company. She rose cautiously and walked to the door. She didn't need to let any more trouble into the house, not after what had happened last night. Confusion crossed her delicate features as she saw who stood on the other side of the door.

Quickly opening it, she stepped out onto the front porch. "Elle?"

"Hey, cheerleader," Elle said softly. She wore medium blue nurses clothing, and her hair was combed differently. "Is Noah home?"

* * *

Claire sat at the top of the stairs while her father talked with Elle in the kitchen. Elle told quite the sob story. She told Noah everything that had occurred between her and Sylar at Pinehearst, and everything that happened after Hiro had intervened and teleported them away from the Bennet house.

Noah paced the kitchen, rubbing his temples fervently. "This is difficult, Elle. Less than a day ago, you break into my house and try to kill me and take my daughter, and now you're back saying you need my help? Give me one good reason why I should let you stay here."

Elle was perched at a stool by the kitchen counter. Her eyes didn't attempt to meet Noah's at all. She hated this feeling of helplessness. "He's still out there, Noah. And you know he'll keep coming back whenever the answers point in your direction. You want to keep the cheerleader safe, I need a place to stay. This could work for both of us."

"Are you saying that if Sylar comes back, you'll fight him?" Noah asked, mildly interested at this point. Elle was a more than capable security guard, especially when her feelings pushed her to rage against specific people. This could work out.

"After what he did, I'll kill him. You want to keep your family safe, but you can't always be around to do it. Let me stay here, and you won't have to worry. You know what I'm capable of," Elle replied coolly, finally meeting Noah's gaze.

Noah let out a deep sigh before nodding. "Okay. We'll give it a shot. But you mess up at all – and I mean anything – and you're out. There's a guest bedroom upstairs, second door on the left. I'll expect you up at eight to talk about this arrangement some more."

Elle stood up and moved towards the stairs. "You won't regret this."

* * *

**Two Months Later**

Elle puts the car in park as Lyle opens the passenger door. Grabbing his backpack, he steps out of the car before saying goodbye. Elle lets the car idle for a minute as she watches Lyle walk up the steps into school. She wondered what it was like on the inside.

Dismissing her thoughts as useless, she put the car back in drive and navigated the streets of Costa Verde. It was a beautiful day out. The sun was just barely over the trees, and people were out and about. Elle lost track of the number of joggers she drove past as she returned to the Bennet house.

As she pulled into the driveway, she saw the garage door open, with Sandra walking out. She had a large, rolling suitcase of luggage in one hand, and Mr. Muggles' pet carrier in the other. Elle exited the car and went to help.

"Oh, thank you, Elle. We're headed off for another show. We shouldn't be gone more than two days. Noah's off on a work trip, so that leaves you in charge. You won't have to worry about much, I asked Lyle's friend Sam's mother if he could stay over there for the next few nights. It'll just be you and Claire, maybe you can have a girl's night out," she mused. She strapped Mr. Muggles' pet carrier into the front passenger seat and made sure the doors were locked before addressing Elle again. "Now, if Claire gives you any trouble, it's probably best if you don't fight too much. Just wait until Noah and I are home, and we'll take care of it. Have a good time!"

Elle stood in the driveway as Sandra pulled off, wondering exactly what a girl's night out entailed. While she and Claire had been behaving amiably towards one another, she doubted they'd spend much time together over the next few days. Claire was an adult, and as far as Elle was concerned, not to be bossed around.

She walked into the house through the garage, making sure to shut the door behind her. The sound of the television could be heard throughout the house. As Elle shut the door leading to the garage, she heard the television go silent. "Mom?" Claire called.

"Just me, cheerleader," Elle replied. She removed her suit jacket and placed it on the back of a dining room chair before joining the other girl in the living room. "What are you up to? It's really nice outside."

"Mom and I went out and rented movies last night so that I wouldn't have to bug you for anything while she was away," Claire explained as she took the television off mute. "Want to watch it with me?"

Elle walked around the couch and sat down opposite Claire. "What's it about?"

"It's a romance. Every girl our age has seen it, cried over it, and loved it. Come on. Just think of it as an observation mission, about normal human behavior," Claire offered. She passed Elle her bowl of popcorn.

"Okay, I'll give it a shot."

* * *

Claire found it difficult to concentrate on the movie with Elle's almost constant stream of questions. When she wasn't asking questions, the older girl's brow was furrowed in confusion. Maybe this movie wasn't the best one to start her out with, but Claire had wanted to spend time with the older girl. Things had felt different to Claire since their plane ride, and she wanted to get to the bottom of it. When Elle had moved in, Claire had considered every interaction the two had had. Knowing that Elle was only staying with her family to keep her safe, Claire had decided that it was time to let go of the past grudges she held. She had forgiven Elle for shooting her, forgave her for leaving her at the doors of Pinehearst.

But even though she was trying her hardest, it was hard to interact with the older blonde the same way that she interacted with other people their age. Elle had no concept of normal social interactions, and was consistently hard for Claire to read.

"I don't get it. Why would you lay in the middle of a road at night? It's not safe!" Elle exclaimed. This movie didn't make any sense to her whatsoever. These people weren't making good decisions. She certainly wouldn't have associated with either of them.

Claire shook her head before taking back her bowl of popcorn. "Because they're in love. He's showing off to make her pay attention to him. He wants her to feel special when she's with him."

"He wants her to feel special, so he makes her lay with him in the middle of a dark, dirty road at night?" Elle put her hands up in exasperation. "Whatever you say, cheerleader. I'd never ask a girl to lay in the middle of a road with me in the dark."

"Well then I guess you'll never get a girlfriend!" Claire exclaimed. She had had enough. "Because every girl in the world has seen this movie and this is the standard that's been set."

Elle looked at her, utterly dumbfounded. "Who said I wanted a girlfriend?"

Claire stopped for a second. She might've taken it a little too far. "I mean, you said you wouldn't treat a girl that way, I just assumed that you dated women."

"I've never dated," Elle said plainly. "Is that allowed? Not dating, I know that's okay. But women dating women. Or men dating men too, I guess."

Claire nodded. "Yeah, it's allowed. Some people think it's weird, but it doesn't really matter. As long as it makes them happy, it should be okay, right? I mean, love is love, you know?"

"Have you ever loved a woman?" Elle asked as she hit play on the remote once again. When Claire didn't answer right away, Elle looked over at her. "Claire?"

"I'm not sure yet."

* * *

Elle had gotten better about keeping her questions to herself as the movie progressed. She could see that Claire didn't like it when she interrupted, and she vaguely remembered that you weren't supposed to talk in movie theaters. Maybe you just weren't supposed to talk during movies at all. Either way, she didn't want to upset the younger blonde, who had been exceedingly nice to her since she had moved in.

But right now, she couldn't **not** ask questions. She hit the pause button the remote. "Claire—"

"Elle, this is the best sex scene ever created!" Claire cried as she tossed the bowl of popcorn. Movie watching with Elle was useless.

"I just don't get it. I mean, I've had sex before, but we weren't really together, and I didn't feel that special. She looks like she feels really special," Elle said, pointing at the screen.

Claire nodded. "Because he's her someone. Everyone has a special someone who's perfect for them. They compliment each other. Maybe the person you had sex with just wasn't your special someone."

Elle immediately became quiet. "I don't know. Why would anyone…? Nevermind," she said quickly, pushing play again on the remote.

Claire reached over and snatched the remote from her, pausing the DVD once more. "Why would anyone, what?"

"Why would anyone want to be my special someone? I don't understand how anything works. I'm a quarter through my life and I'm just starting to learn how to be around real people. No one would ever want to put up with me," Elle said softly. Though her voice held what sounded like sadness, her features were completely blank.

Claire reached a hand out and touched Elle's. "It's like I said, everyone has a special someone. Even if you don't think you're worth loving, they will."

Elle raised her eyes to look at Claire. "Do you think I'm worth loving?"

Claire knew that this was it. Moving quickly so that there was no more time to talk herself out of it, she leaned in and gently cupped Elle's face in her hands before pressing her lips against the older blonde's. Elle was stiff at first, but then pressed into Claire, even opening her mouth to allow the younger girl access. Claire deepened the kiss and Elle's hands went to Claire's sides. They continued to kiss for a few minutes before Elle pulled away, short of breath.

Claire brought her hands down to her lap and gently locked her fingers with Elle's. "I've thought you were worth loving since we flew to Pinehearst together. I just needed to be sure that I was right. I think I'm sure now."

"Even though I'm really no good at this feelings stuff?" Elle said softly. Her gaze was on their fingers. She seemed fascinated by the way Claire's hands looked as they interlocked with hers.

"We'll work on it together. I'm not so good at them either," Claire said as she reached a hand up to push Elle's hair out of her face.

Elle raised her eyes to look at Claire. "Do you think we could try that again?"

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**Footnote: **Wow, that was long. I've never written REAL romance before, so this is a first for me. Hopefully it didn't turn out too badly. This is just the prologue, with lots more on the way. Please review if you made it this far!


	2. Chapter 1: The Day Before

**Lunar Eclipse**

**Chapter 1: The Day Before**

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**Author's Note: **Thanks to all who reviewed the prologue! This chapter is set two months after the events in the prologue, so Elle and Claire have had some time to be together. I'll try to crank out the next few chapters relatively quickly so you guys won't have to wait so long in between them. School is winding down, so it shouldn't be a huge problem. Like always, please review. The last ones basically made my week. :]

**Disclaimer: **Heroes and all of its associated content are property of Tim Kring. I am making no profit from this whatsoever.

* * *

The sun was just starting to peek through the blinds as Elle opened her eyes. Her room was bathed in soft yellow light, and she silently resolved to stay under the covers as long as possible. She glanced over to the alarm and found that she had woken up ten minutes early. Smiling, she rolled over and addressed the younger blonde lying next to her.

"Hey, you," she murmured softly against Claire's neck. Lightly caressing the other girl's arm, Elle nudged Claire until her eyes opened.

Groaning, Claire pulled the covers back over her head. "What time is it?" She asked from under the blankets.

"Ten 'til," Elle whispered. Claire rolled onto her back, staring at the ceiling. "Did you sleep well?"

Claire smiled. "Never better." She rolled onto her side and wrapped her legs around Elle's. Pulling the older girl close, she pressed a gentle kiss to Elle's lips. They lay there, intertwined together, for what felt like hours until the alarm clock went off. Smiling into the kiss, Claire reached over and hit snooze.

Elle pulled back and shook her head. "No snoozing! You need to be back in your room by the time your mother comes to get you up for school," Elle whispered frantically.

"Mmm, see. I told her **you **would be waking me up today **and** driving me to school," Claire said with a grin. Claire lightly kissed Elle's forehead before rolling away from the older blonde. Removing herself from the tangle of blankets, Claire rose, stretched and made her way to the bathroom that connected their two bedrooms.

Elle sat up, letting the blankets pool at her abdomen as she attempted to straighten out her hair in the mirror across from the bed. This was all so new to her. It had been two months since the first time Claire had kissed her. The younger girl insisted that they take things slow, since Elle wasn't accustomed to this kind of thing. While they had done little more than kiss in that time, Elle felt something for the other girl that words could barely describe; at least, her words could not. It wasn't that Claire made her feel special, but the fact that she felt wanted. No one else had ever simply wanted her to be there, with no purpose. When things had gotten tough, even Sylar had pushed her away. Claire was content to take things as slow as Elle needed in order to keep her, but it was clear that she wanted things to go further.

This didn't bother Elle in the slightest. In fact, she probably would've welcomed sex at this point, simply because it would have been a way to express to Claire how incredible she made Elle feel. Though she understood that she felt happy with Claire, Elle was sure that there were different words to use to explain the way the younger girl made her feel. She didn't want to sell these feelings short, but she hadn't yet found the right words to explain them.

As Elle sat thinking, Claire returned to the room with a toothbrush in her hand. She brushed her teeth as she searched around and under Elle's bed for her sandals. Sliding them on, she turned to go back to the bathroom. "Are you okay? You look like you're off in another world," Claire said as she stood at the door.

"I'm fine. I just – this is so weird," Elle said. Claire raised an eyebrow before holding a finger up.

"Hold that thought," Claire replied as she walked into the bathroom. Elle listened as Claire spit out the toothpaste in her mouth and rinsed. Returning to the room, Claire came and sat beside her on the bed. "What do you mean 'weird'?"

Elle shrugged. "I don't really know. I just, I don't know what this is. It makes me happy, but I don't know what any of this means. I don't know if this is even serious," Elle said as she stared hard at the blanket. _ I'm also not ready to get hurt again, and I'm also not ready to let you know that, _she thought to herself.

"This can be whatever you want it to be, as serious as you want it to be. I'm letting you take the lead on this one," Claire said as she took the older girl's hand. "I know that it's different and new, but I think if I let you define it, maybe it'll help you understand it more."

Claire kissed Elle's forehead before returning to her room to gather her things. Elle rose from the bed and began getting dressed to take Claire to school. As happy as she was that Claire understood her concerns, she found little comfort in the younger girl's response. Elle felt like she needed to do something, anything to make Claire feel as special as she herself was feeling. She needed to know that the younger blonde really felt for her the same way she felt for Claire. If only she knew how to define that feeling.

* * *

Noah and Mohinder walked alongside each other through the gray halls of the Department of Homeland Security. They had spent most of the day throwing around useless theories of where Sylar could be now, and what he could be doing. Though they both knew Sylar was still out there, they didn't find him to be a particular threat to their lives at the moment. Mohinder stopped to take in the view from a window along the side of the building.

"It's such a beautiful day out," Noah remarked as he leaned against the metal barricade in front of the window. Mohinder nodded.

"Made any plans for the weekend yet?" He asked.

Noah shook his head. "No, not yet. As far as I know, Sandra and Lyle will both be home, for once. Elle and Claire have been spending a lot of time together lately, so they probably have something planned."

"There's going to be a lunar eclipse Saturday night," Mohinder began. "Maybe you could do some family bonding. How has Elle been fitting in, anyway?"

"Better than I thought she would. She's helping out around the house. The kids adore her. From what I can tell, Sandra loves the extra help. I have no complaints about taking her in," Noah said. The two men began walking along the corridor again. "I don't know about family bonding though. We'll see."

"This kind of eclipse happens all the time, but it wouldn't hurt Lyle to see one. I used to think it was fascinating to see the moon lit up, all orange and red," Mohinder said as they walked.

Noah couldn't help but laugh. "I wish my son was half as interested in science as you are, Mohinder. Maybe he'd do better in school."

The two men continued walking, but Noah's mind wandered back to the last eclipse. Though this one coming up was a completely different kind and would likely have no effect on those with abilities, he couldn't help but remember the torment the previous eclipse had caused his family.

* * *

Elle sat in the parking lot of Claire's school, idly drumming her fingers against the steering wheel of the car. Classes were out for the day, and the parking lot was full of people. Elle watched them all, trying to understand the dynamics she was seeing. There were groups of boys around Claire's age, throwing a football back and forth along the fire lane. A small group of girls in short skirts walked past the car, talking about something called Cosmo. She watched a young couple walk past, holding hands and talking. She furrowed her brow. Elle and Claire had held hands before, but never in public like that. Maybe they would have to do that soon.

Claire found the car and climbed in the passenger seat. "Hey, you," she said as she kissed Elle's cheek. "How was your day?"

"It was okay," Elle began. "I walked Mr. Muggles and helped your mom go grocery shopping. We watched a talk show with this man named Maury. Your mom says he's a saint, but I think anyone would look like a saint next to the guests on his show."

Claire laughed. "Very true. I'm really glad you and mom get along. Hopefully she'll take it well when we finally decide to tell her about us."

"About that," Elle said, suddenly feeling awkward. "I'm really sorry about this morning. I've been thinking about it all day, and I think what I said came out wrong. I don't feel weird, I just feel. Exposed," she said with finality.

Claire reached out and gently took the older blonde's hand in hers as they drove. "I told you, it's okay. This is all you. I'm ready to be here with you, as long as it takes."

Elle smiled. "Thanks, cheerleader. But, I don't want this to be all about me. You're one half of whatever this is, you know."

"I know," Claire said. "But I already know how I feel about you. I'm just waiting for you to figure out how you feel about me."

Claire watched the electric blonde's expression sadden as she glanced towards the window. Claire rubbed her thumb against the back of Elle's hand. "Elle, I didn't mean it that way—"

"Can we do something this weekend?" Elle cut her off. As they pulled to a stop in the Bennet's driveway, Elle finally turned to look at Claire. "I don't know how to say what I feel, but I think I can show you."

Claire nodded. "Sure. Saturday. We'll do whatever you decide. I'm yours for the day."

* * *

As Elle pulled into the driveway, Sandra and Lyle were making their way out. Rolling down her window to talk to Elle, Sandra yelled between the cars. "Soccer practice, you're on your own for dinner. We're going out for ice cream afterwards, so we'll see you around nine!"

And with that, they were gone. Sandra and Lyle continued back out of the driveway as Elle pulled in. Elle and Claire gathered their belongings and wandered into the house through the open garage door. As they entered the house, Claire took one final peek through the garage door just to confirm that her mother was really gone, and not returning for some left-behind piece of sports equipment. With Sandra's SUV safely out of sight, Claire quickly grabbed Elle's hips and pressed her against the kitchen wall.

Elle's eyes widened before closing as Claire's lips found hers. Elle opened her mouth, providing the younger girl with access as the cheerleader pressed her body against Elle's so that they were touching in all the right places. Eliciting a soft moan from Elle at the increase in pressure, Claire decided to take it a step further. Keeping one hand at Elle's side, Claire moved her other hand to the front of the older girl's jeans and in a single, graceful move slowly unbuttoned them.

Without warning, Elle emitted a sharp burst of electricity through her fingertips into Claire's arm and abdomen. Her face felt like it was burning and she couldn't bring herself to look the cheerleader in the eye. "Claire, I—"

"Shh, it's okay," Claire said as she took Elle into her arms again. "It was too fast, I know. We're going to do this at your pace."

Claire kissed Elle's forehead before turning to go search the kitchen for food. Standing there against the wall, jeans still unbuttoned, heart still pounding, Elle was at a loss for words. She couldn't stop thinking about the last time she had been in this position with someone, and how that whole chapter of her life had almost ended. From the refrigerator, Claire held up a bag of noodles.

"Pasta?" She asked, a concerned look on her face. Elle crossed the room and took the bag from her hand, nodding.

"I'll cook, you go finish your homework," Elle said as she moved away from Claire, off in search of pasta sauce and a shred of dignity. As she reached up into an overhead cabinet, she felt Claire's tiny arms wrap around her waist.

"It might be too soon to say this, but I want you to know that I love you," Claire said as she pressed a single kiss to Elle's shoulder. Elle stood, frozen in her embrace, completely unsure of what to do or say. "I don't want you to say it back, because I know that you don't know yet. And that's fine. I just needed you to know how I felt."

As Claire left the kitchen, Elle sunk down to her knees behind the kitchen island. She hadn't noticed it until now, but her hands were trembling and she was barely able to hold on to the bag of pasta and jar of sauce that she had in hand.

She had messed up so badly. It was times like these when she wished she was a time traveler and could rewind the clock to five minutes ago. She couldn't think of anything in the world that she wouldn't give to be pressed up against the kitchen wall again by someone who loved her, but she knew it couldn't happen now.

* * *

Calculus was a hard thing to concentrate on when you had just had Elle Bishop pinned up against a wall. Claire stared at the problems on the page in front of her, but she wasn't really seeing them. All she could see right now was the look of sheer vulnerability that had been in Elle's eyes after she had jolted Claire. Exposed, Elle had said earlier. She had certainly looked exposed.

It was the first time Claire had seen that look in a long time, probably since the first time they had kissed. She tapped her pencil idly against her notebook. She wished that there was something more she could've said to make Elle understand what she was feeling in the kitchen, and in general. Sometimes Claire didn't even think that love was a strong enough word to use to describe the feelings she had.

At the very least, it had been a true statement. Claire did love Elle, she was sure of that much. All of the long nights spent talking about everything under the sun, and stolen kisses whenever her parents were around had taken a toll on her. Elle Bishop had stolen her heart, and Claire was perfectly content to let her keep it. She just hoped the electric blonde would figure out what exactly to do with it.

* * *

The girls ate dinner in a comfortable silence before retiring to the Bennet's family room to watch a movie. The volume was high, and the lights were low. Claire had sprawled across the majority of the couch, and Elle had perched herself neatly on the opposite end, not touching Claire at all. This was, of course, unacceptable to Claire. Reaching a hand out to grab Elle's, Claire pulled the older girl on top of her.

Elle took this as the chance to redeem herself for her actions earlier. Pressing into Claire with urgency, Elle buried her face in Claire's neck. The cheerleader smelled of perfume, deodorant, and sweat. Biting down gently, Elle began sucking lightly on the younger girl's neck, only to watch in dismay as the mark she left quickly faded.

Moving to her mouth, Elle kissed Claire deeply, sucking the cheerleader's bottom lip into her mouth and gently running her tongue over it. Claire clung to Elle, pressing her hips against the older girl's as they kissed.

The girls were so lost in that moment that they failed to hear the garage door open and close, and Noah enter the house. They missed him peek his head into the family room and quickly step back out before returning to his office and drawing the blinds.

* * *

**Footnote: **So, I installed Microsoft Office 2008 on my computer today and it had an error. While on the phone with Microsoft, I ended up wiping out the contents of my desktop, and silly me didn't have a back up made. This wasn't the original version of this chapter, but I feel like this one might be a little better in certain areas. Please review!


	3. Chapter 2: Rising

**Lunar Eclipse**

**Chapter 2: Rising

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**Author's Note**: Yet another chapter that got deleted from my desktop. Re-written and hopefully improved. Thanks for all the reviews and for adding this story to your favorites list, you guys are awesome.

**Disclaimer**: Heroes and all of its associated content are property of Tim Kring. I am making no profit from this whatsoever.

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Costa Verde was quiet. It was early in the morning; the sun had barely risen over the trees. The lights were on only in the kitchen of the Bennet house. Noah and Sandra sat at the kitchen table, eating what remained of their breakfast. Noah crunched into his toast as Sandra poured them each another glass of orange juice. Clearing his throat, Noah set his toast down. "What do you think of Elle?"

"You know, I was worried when we first took her in. Not for us, but for her. I didn't think she would be able to get used to such a simple, domestic life," Sandra mused as she spooned up more cereal. "But she surprised me. I think she surprised us all. She really is an incredible young woman."

Noah nodded. "She is. I think she's been fitting in with us quite well."

Sandra finished her cereal and crossed the kitchen to the sink, where she set her bowl and spoon. Returning to the table, she continued. "Oh yes. She's doing so well taking care of Lyle and Claire."

"What kind of effect do you think she's having on Claire?" Noah asked nonchalantly. He finished his toast and took a quick sip of his orange juice.

"You know, there were times when I really worried about what kind of example she would be for Claire, but I think Claire's responded to Elle being here very well," Sandra replied.

"Mmm, I agree. I just wonder how long she'll stay," Noah thought aloud.

It was at this point that Elle meandered down the stairs and into the kitchen, keeping her back to Noah and Sandra as she found cereal for breakfast. Continuing to wander around the kitchen in search of a bowl, a spoon, and milk, Elle did her best not to look like she had been listening to Noah and Sandra's private conversation.

"Elle, I didn't mean it that way," Noah started. Elle had had trouble understanding the small nuances of normal social interaction. He honestly hadn't meant to imply that he wanted Elle to leave.

"No, it's cool. I understand," Elle finally said as she joined them at the table. "I can't stay with you guys forever, you know."

Noah nodded. "Well, you're welcome to stay here as long as it's what you really want. If you think that's what's best for you and everyone else."

"I'll stay as long as I'm welcome here," Elle said as she began eating her cereal. Now that the awkward conversation was over, Sandra stood and patted Elle on the arm.

"You stay as long as you want, dear. We're lucky to have you. I'm off to walk Mr. Muggles now, see you two in a bit," Sandra said as she wandered out of the kitchen, leash in hand.

Left behind, Noah cleared his throat and addressed Elle. "I really didn't mean it the way it sounded, Elle."

"No, it's really okay, however you meant it. I don't think anyone expected me to stay with you guys for long," Elle said as she took a sip of orange juice.

Noah watched her closely before speaking again. "I think you'll be around for a while. I know what's been going on with you and Claire."

Elle showed no signs of worry, but inside she was frozen. She calmly swirled her cereal in the bowl while thinking of the next logical move. Tapping her fingers on the rim of her orange juice glass, she started, "To be honest, Noah, I'm not really sure what's going on with me and Claire."

"Oh, I think I know what it is," Noah said, looking directly at her. "I don't expect you to understand it or have the words for it right now, but I do want you to understand one thing: you hurt my daughter, you're gone. Not just gone from this house, but gone from this world."

Elle finally found the strength to meet his gaze. Looking Noah directly in the eye, she removed her spoon from her cereal bowl and set it down on the table with finality. "I'd never let myself."

Noah smiled. "Like I said, I think you'll be around for a while."

At the top of the stairs, Claire sat hugging her knees to her chest and smiling.

* * *

Mohinder idly fanned himself as he stuck out his arm for the umpteenth time. Getting a taxi in Los Angeles was difficult when you weren't famous. It was especially difficult when you didn't look like you had money. Finally a driver slowed and came to a stop in front of him. He tossed his bag across the back seat and gave the driver a slip of paper with the address.

"Certainly is hot out," he said. He hated being a passenger. From his short time as a taxi driver, he had found that the job was both tedious and monotonous. Now as a passenger, he felt that it was his duty to break that monotony for the duration of his ride.

"Yeah, real scorcher. That's LA for you. You see that eclipse a while back?" The driver asked as he made a slow right turn.

Mohinder nodded. "Oh, yes. There's going to be another one tomorrow night."

"That right? My boy tried to look straight at the last one. Old lady near about had a fit," the driver said. Now stopped at a red light, Mohinder sat in the back of the cab shaking his head.

"Oh no, the one this weekend will be completely different. It'll be at night, you can look straight at it—"

"Hey man, I'm not looking for an astronomy lesson here," the driver said as the light turned green.

Mohinder shook his head. Some people just didn't appreciate science.

* * *

The day had passed by uneventfully in Costa Verde. The sun was down, and the roads were finally quiet. The Bennet family had just finished eating, and Noah and Sandra wandered out to the deck to enjoy some wine. Inside the house, Elle and Claire were at the sink washing the dishes from dinner.

As soon as Noah and Sandra were safely out of doors and facing away from the kitchen windows, Elle gently wrapped her arms around Claire from behind. Claire turned her head, grinning, and pressed a firm kiss to Elle's lips. "I'm glad Dad took it okay."

Turning Claire around so that they faced each other, Elle nodded. "Yeah, I was worried there for a minute. Do you think he told Sandra?"

"Nah, he'll wait for us to do it," Claire replied as she pressed her hips into Elle's. Eliciting a moan from the older girl, Claire began dropping light kisses along Elle's neck and shoulders. "It's not really his place to tell her about us."

Elle's fingers trailed up the back of Claire's shirt, tracing slow circles along her spine. Pulling away, Elle looked Claire in the eye. "You still up for tomorrow?"

"Of course," Claire said, resting her forehead against Elle's. "I promised."

As the girls stood in comfortable silence, Noah poked his head inside the door. "Hey girls, come outside. This eclipse business apparently starts to show up tonight."

Following Noah out onto the deck, Elle and Claire leaned on the railing facing the line of trees across the Bennet's back yard. The moon was just starting to rise over the top of the trees. It didn't appear to be much different than it normally was, just a darker shade.

Elle felt a slight tingling in her arms. Glancing down, she saw nothing that could be causing the sensation. She smiled shyly at Claire before looking down again. The feeling reminded her of the way she felt whenever Claire's hands were on her. Gently brushing her hand against the younger girl's arm, Elle turned and walked back into the house.

* * *

**Footnote: **Not so much action in this one, I'm afraid. It was kind of a chore to write, so sorry it took forever. As always, please review if you made it this far. My semester is officially over, so things will be turned out more quickly now.


	4. Chapter 3: The Eclipse

**Chapter 3: The Eclipse

* * *

**

**Author's Note: **Thanks for continuing to read, review, and add this story to your favorites list! I just moved into a new apartment and I'm stoked. :D

**Disclaimer: **Heroes and all of its associated content are property of Tim Kring. I am making no profit from this whatsoever.

* * *

Sylar was quiet as he carried his plate of food to the small dining room table. His apartment was sparsely furnished, with few distinguishing characteristics and little by way of actual furnishings. He had spent most of his time escaping from and wanting to forget about the past three months, and wanted little to do with Pinehearst or the Company. Feeling betrayed by everyone who had ever managed to get remotely close, he had closed himself off and disappeared almost overnight. As far as he knew, no one had any ideas as to his current whereabouts.

The moon rose, full and orange against the backdrop of New York City. The view was startlingly beautiful, and Sylar couldn't help but stare at it. Luminous. The moon was certainly luminous. He had also felt very luminous as of late.

Lifting his fork to begin eating, Sylar grimaced as a particularly familiar rush of hunger rolled over him, one that he hadn't felt this way in quite some time. He couldn't recall a time he had had such a strong inclination. Heaving a sigh and blaming it on his self-imposed seclusion, he picked up his plate and crossed to the refrigerator. After storing his food for later, he reached slowly into his coat pocket and pulled out a cell phone.

It wasn't his phone, but Elle's. He had picked up a charger for it after coming back to New York, and had used it to locate several others with abilities in the city. Skimming through the contacts list, he settled on a name and rushed out the door without so much as a sound.

* * *

Elle had spent the last twelve hours in heated preparation. It was Saturday night, and Claire had promised that they would spend it however Elle wanted. Elle had been planning since Thursday, and now the moment was finally upon her. Placing the last few items she needed into the trunk of the car, she slammed the trunk shut just as Claire walked up.

"Ready to go?" Claire asked. Elle nodded, walking to the passenger side and opening the door.

"After you," Elle said, grinning. Tonight was her night. The past few days had been a flurry of emotion for the electric blonde. She was beginning to understand the way she felt. Claire had said that she loved Elle. Elle wasn't too sure what love felt like at this moment, but she was determined to learn. She wanted more than anything to be sure that love was the right word to use for the way she felt about Claire, and for what it was worth, she thought she was headed in the right direction.

The girls leisurely drove through the streets of Costa Verde, making a series of stops and turns. Though it appeared as though she was in no rush whatsoever, Elle wanted more than anything to speed through all of the stop signs in their way. She wanted nothing more than to go through with her plans, but she was completely nervous. Her grip on the steering wheel was the only thing keeping Claire from seeing Elle's hands shake.

"Where are we going?" Claire asked as she rolled the window down. It was a gorgeous night. The moon was bright in the sky, a shade of molten orange caused by the lunar eclipse. There was a light breeze that whipped through the trees and blew Claire's blonde hair.

"I told you, it's a surprise. We're almost there," Elle said as she made yet another turn. Minutes later, the girls arrived at a secluded, beach side park. The park itself was on a hill overlooking the water. Several groves of trees could be seen from where Elle parked the car. She had driven around Costa Verde days before, looking for the ideal spot. The seclusion and the view had brought her here.

As they exited the car, Elle wandered to the trunk to grab the supplies she had packed. From the back of the car, she retrieved a blanket and a picnic basket. She held them up to Claire, who had joined her at the rear of the vehicle.

"Surprise picnic!" Elle said with a grin. Claire smiled back and motioned to hold the picnic basket.

"Is this what you got out of watching all those day time soap operas with my mom?" Claire asked through a laugh as they walked over to a cluster of trees.

Elle nodded and gently spread the blanket on the ground under the trees. The view was absolutely perfect. Below them, Elle could see the reflection of the moon in the water. As Elle sat down, Claire placed herself across from the older girl.

Leaning in for a kiss, Claire was met with a glimpse of uncertainty before pressing her lips against Elle's. Running her tongue over the electric blonde's bottom lip, Claire pulled back slowly. "Hey," Claire said softly. Elle opened her eyes and stared straight back at her. "I love you."

* * *

Sylar stood, pacing in front of a run-down apartment building in Brooklyn. Elle's phone told him that this was the place – apartment 3F. He stiffly pushed the call button on the landing.

"Yes?" A curt voice replied from the box on the wall a few moments later.

"Delivery," Sylar said. The bell on the door rang and the locks popped. Opening the door, Sylar moved through the hall with ease. There was no elevator in this building, it was far too old. The doorway for the stairwell was heavy; he would have to remember this on his way out.

Climbing up to the third floor, Sylar quietly exited the stairwell and slide the door closed. Apartment 3F was a corner unit. Sylar wagered that its occupant lived alone, no pets, few friends coming and going. Knocking on the door, he waited. Inside the apartment there were footsteps, slowly meandering towards the door.

The door opened and a thin, pale young man stood in front of him. Michael Haskins – twenty-eight years old, male, New York City native. According to Elle's notes, Haskins was a speedster. Super speed could be useful. Haskins didn't appear to be very threatening. He stared at Sylar inquisitively through thin black glasses.

"You said you had a delivery?" Haskins asked as he placed his body between the door and the doorframe.

Sylar nodded, and quickly pretended to be exhausted and out of breath from his climb, though he was neither of those things. "It's a bit heavy. Would you mind giving me a hand? I just left it at the top of the stairwell here."

Haskins stepped out from the doorframe and led Sylar back to the stairwell. As soon as the door shut behind them, Haskins spun around. "There's no package here."

"You know, you're right. So let's cut with the formalities," Sylar said as he hoisted Haskins up above his head and hung him off the stairwell banister. Slicing his forehead open, Sylar stared at the young man's brain before smiling appreciatively. "This will come in handy. Thanks."

He wandered quickly down the stairs. Haskins's screams had more than likely alerted neighbors who had already called the police. No need to stick around. Sylar let his grip on Haskin go and the man's body fell to the bottom of the stairwell behind him.

He was right about the police. As he stepped out of the building, he heard sirens in the distance. He stuck to alleyways as he wandered towards the subway, but he couldn't shake the feeling that he was being followed. Spinning around, he found no one behind him.

And that was when he realized it. He wasn't being followed by a _someone_, but a _something_. Taking Haskins's ability hadn't abated his hunger. Shaking his head, he pulled out Elle's cell phone once more. New York was a big city, there were many more with abilities within a twenty block radius, and he would kill as many as it took to get rid of this god-awful feeling.

* * *

The girls lay on the blanket, their picnic dinner long forgotten. Claire was on her back, looking up at the stars, with her head resting on Elle's stomach. The sky was a deep blue, almost black. The moon hung high in the sky above them. Claire attempted several times to find constellations in the expanse of sky directly above her, but had little luck. She rolled sideways to look at Elle.

"Thanks for doing all this," Claire said softly as she traced Elle's jaw line with her fingers. "It really means a lot."

Elle captured Claire's fingers in her own and pressed a light kiss to the back of the younger girl's hand. "I want to do more…"

Claire shook her head. "This is more than enough, Elle. This was probably the best date I've ever been on."

"That's not what I mean," Elle murmured as she sat up. It was difficult to word what she wanted to say. She wasn't sure this was how it was done in normal relationships. The last time she had been in this situation, there weren't really words involved. Leaning down, she lightly pressed her lips against Claire's. Rolling so that she lay on top of the younger girl, Elle stilled for a moment. "Is this okay?"

Claire nodded, letting her hands drift up to Elle's face. "I wanted to," Claire said softly as she pressed her lips back against Elle's. "I just didn't want to rush you."

"I know. I'm ready now," Elle replied, smiling shyly at the younger girl.

Claire gently took Elle's hand and slowly trailed it down her torso to its resting point. "Make love to me."

* * *

Sylar dropped his second victim on the floor with disdain. There was something different in everyone's heads tonight. He couldn't explain it, but everything was just stronger, bigger. He had seen a speedster at work before, but she hadn't been nearly as fast as he was right now. When the sound of police sirens had gotten close earlier, he had ran as fast as he could, arriving at his next victim's doorstep in less than two minutes. Though he couldn't say exactly how big this amplification was, he was sure that Daphne couldn't travel nearly this fast on a normal day.

The perks of this second victim were the thick, concrete walls of his apartment complex – no one could hear the man's screams. Top that off with a functioning elevator that had floor to ceiling windows, and Sylar was suddenly in a better mood. As he rode down from near the top of the building, he let his mind wander. He stared out the window at the city.

At the rate he was going, he could do this all night. He was just as hungry as before, though he had gained two new abilities. The moon popped back into view from behind a skyscraper, full and orange and inviting.

_That had to be it, this lunar eclipse_, he thought as the doors to the elevator opened. A young woman boarded the elevator and they continued on their way to the ground floor. The last eclipse had striped people of their abilities. If he and his last two victims were any indication, everyone's abilities would be amplified and enhanced as long as this lunar eclipse was in effect.

As the door opened on the ground floor, he walked casually out of the building and around the corner before taking off at super speed. All he had the urge to do right now was understand how you could enhance the ability of someone who couldn't die, and he needed to get to Costa Verde before the eclipse was over if he ever wanted to find out.

* * *

**Footnote: **This chapter was originally going to contain some explicit adult themes, but every version of the scene that I turned out didn't strike my fancy. After I finish the whole story and you all aren't dying for another chapter, I may rewrite an NC-17 version of this chapter to post on my livejournal. As always, please review if you made it this far!


	5. Chapter 4: He Has Come

**Lunar Eclipse  
Chapter Four: He Has Come

* * *

**

**Author's Note: **As per your requests, I will be writing up an NC-17 version of the previous chapter after the whole story is complete. I'll probably post it on here after the epilogue.

**Disclaimer: **Heroes and all of its associated content are property of Tim Kring. I am making no profit from this whatsoever.

* * *

The Bennet house was mostly dark. The only visible lights were a low light from above the stove in the kitchen, and the soft white glow of a television from the family room. Sylar circled the house impatiently, trying to get a sense of who was inside. There was only one car in the driveway, so someone was clearly out.

He wandered cautiously up the stairs to the deck on the rear of the house. For all he knew, Noah could already be on to him. As soon as he reached the top, he pressed himself against the side of the house, sidestepping towards a window to the kitchen. There was nothing remarkable or out-of-place in the Bennet's kitchen. In the sink were two sets of dishes, presumably from dinner, so there were at least two people home.

He slowly stepped a few feet to the right, over to the door to the kitchen. _If I lived in a safe and quiet suburb, why wouldn't I leave my doors unlocked before bed? _Sylar thought as he gave the handle a twist. Sure enough, the door opened noiselessly. He walked into the kitchen and quickly turned off the light above the stove. And that was when he heard it.

"I'm going to use the restroom, do you want anything else to drink?" Sandra asked as she rose from the couch. Sylar froze where he stood, listening for the reply.

"No, thank you. I'm good here," Noah said calmly. "Want me to pause the movie?"

"No, it'll only take a minute," Sandra said as she walked swiftly towards the hall bathroom.

As soon as she had made it safely into the bathroom, Sylar walked smoothly and silently to the bathroom door, waiting. He listened as the toilet flushed and water was turned on. He heard it cut on and off again and heard the quiet, distinct sound of the lights being clicked off. He braced himself against the doorframe.

Sandra opened the door, and in one quick move, her mouth was covered and she stared death in the face. Sylar smiled calmly, raising two fingers and motioning between Sandra and the living room. Sandra nodded, her eyes wide with fear.

Sylar nodded in return before pulling the older woman toward the living room.

"Honey, I actually will take you up on that drink if you don't mind," Noah said as he leaned back in his chair.

"I don't think now's a good time to be drinking, Noah," Sylar said with a grin. He held Sandra in front of him as a shield, just in case Noah was carrying.

Noah shot up out of his chair, his eyes on the dark-haired young man in his living room. "What do you want? You ran away and we left you alone. That's what you wanted, right?"

Sylar shook his head. "It was, until tonight. Eclipses really are funny things, aren't they, Noah? Where's Claire?"

"Claire?" Noah replied, puzzled. "You've already taken her ability, what more is there that you want from her?

And then he realized. They didn't know. No one else had figured it out yet, at least no one on Noah's end of the chain. "So you don't know? You have no idea how I was able to run from New York City to beautiful Costa Verde in two hours time?"

"What are you saying?" Noah said, shaking his head. "You can't honestly expect me to believe that you **ran** here. Especially in such a small amount of time."

"But I did. Three hours ago I was sitting down to dinner in my apartment in New York. Then I got…hungry. I went out and killed a man, Noah. But I was still hungry. So I killed another. And as I was riding the elevator out of his building, I figured it out. This eclipse is the opposite of the one that happened before. Our abilities aren't being taken away this time, they're being amplified," Sylar said as he tightened his grip on Sandra and stepped closer to Noah. "Now, I don't know where your precious daughter is, but unless you want me to rip your pretty wife's throat out, you'll call her home, now."

* * *

Claire's phone began to vibrate against the heavy blanket that she and Elle lay on. Though both of the girls had put their clothes back on, they still lay tangled up in one another. Claire grabbed for the phone, looking at the name on the outside before answering.

"It's my dad," Claire said with a slight smile.

Elle gently pried the phone from Claire's fingers before clearing her throat and answering. "Hello, Noah."

"Hey, I need you to come home as soon as possible. We're going out and we need someone to feed and walk Mr. Muggles while we're gone," Noah said. The sequence of words just sounded forced and fake.

"Is something wrong? You don't sound like yourself," Elle asked, trying to decipher whatever Noah was trying to say.

"Yep, that's right. Now, you drive safe and try not to let anything bad happen," Noah replied, and with that, he hung up the phone. There was no real way to communicate to Elle what was going on without risking Sandra's safety, so he had to let it go. He counted on Elle's Company training to make her hear the subtleties in his voice and his choice of words and realize that something was amiss.

Elle closed the phone, a frown quickly forming on her face. "Something's wrong. I need to get us home," she said as she stood and reached down for Claire's hand.

Claire took the offered hand and let Elle pull her up. Together, they gathered all of their picnic supplies and walked to the car, anxious to get home and figure out what was going on.

* * *

The house was completely dark when the girls pulled into the driveway. Claire and Elle sat motionless in the car, just watching the house for any signs of trouble before they went in.

There was no motion inside of the house. The lights that were usually left on when the family was away were out. Even the outside porch lights were off. Glancing at the other houses on the block, Elle could see that there wasn't a black out in effect, and the sight of the darkened house put her on edge.

"Your parents never turn all the lights off, right?" She asked as she unfastened her seat belt.

"Right," Claire said as she did the same.

Elle took a deep breath. "Okay, I don't like this idea, but it will give us the best advantage if there really is someone in there up to no good. You're going to open the garage door and walk in. I'm going to go to the front door. If something's the matter, I'll know right away so don't worry about signaling me. If everything that you can see is cool, just turn the porch light on and I'll come in the garage."

Claire nodded, taking the plan in. "How long are you going to wait for a signal?"

"About thirty seconds, give or take. Long enough for you to walk in and scope the first floor. If everything looks cool down here, I'll come in and we can look upstairs together. I'll be able to see through the windows on the side of the door. If I don't see you walk from the kitchen to the living room, I'll come in early," Elle said as she squeezed Claire's hand. "I know it puts you in a bad position if there is someone in there. But you can't die, and as far as I know, no one knows that I'm staying with you guys. We don't want to blow that advantage by me going in there, arm blazing."

Claire couldn't help but laugh at the image of Elle wandering through the house with her finger pointed out, ready to electrocute anything that moved. "It's fine, I trust you. Ready?"

"Ready," Elle replied, pushing the button on the garage door opener.

* * *

Sylar smiled at the sound of the garage door opening. "She always comes in through the garage?"

Sandra nodded, eyes still wide with uncertainty. Noah sat a few feet away, tied to a dining room chair, just out of view of each of the doors of the house. Sylar and Sandra stood nearby in a corner, veiled in shadow.

The door from the garage into the kitchen opened with a low squeal, and Sandra made a mental note to oil the hinges if they all happened to live through tonight. Claire's petite form appeared in the kitchen and the door closed with a slam. No sign of Elle. Sandra suddenly had a glimmer of hope. She glanced over to Noah, and attempted to communicate her thoughts with her eyes.

Noah blinked twice and let his head bob once. Claire was being thorough, she glanced through the kitchen, not finding anything and moved to the dining room. "Dad?"

As soon as Claire reached the door for the living room and her eyes opened in horror, there was a massive explosion at the front of the house. Sylar shuffled himself and Sandra so that they were in the corner furthest away from the sound, and waited.

And there she was. Talk about a surprise twist to a story that had, for a moment, appeared far too easy. Elle stood in front of Claire in the living room doorway, holding her arm palm up at her side.

"Hello, ladies. How have you both been? I have to admit, this was a good surprise. But really, how are you both? It's been a long time, Elle," Sylar said as he took a cautious step out of the corner.

Elle raised her arm in warning as Claire spoke. "Why are you doing this? Can't you see there's nothing here for you to take anymore?"

Tears were streaming down Elle's face, although there was no sound to accompany it. It was too much, having him here, speaking to her. His tone of voice now was no different than it had ever been, making her wonder if his intention during their whole time together had been to kill her.

"Elle? How's your ability lately?" He asked, almost sweetly.

"Better than ever without you around," Elle replied fiercely, wiping the tears from her face. She was beyond furious.

"Well, we'll have to see about that," Sylar said as he raised his arm and hurled a volt of electricity at Noah before dropping Sandra and racing across the room for Claire.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Sheesh, that took long enough. My bad. I've been caught up in video games lately, so if you're a Final Fantasy or Suikoden fan, look for some new fics in those categories after I finish this one. Please review and/or favorite if you made it this far.


	6. Chapter 5: Falling

**Lunar Eclipse**

**Chapter Five: Falling

* * *

**

**Author's Note: **Wanted to get this one out before I go on vacation next week. Hope you're all having a great weekend!

**Disclaimer: **Heroes and all of its associated content are property of Tim Kring. I am making no profit from this whatsoever.

* * *

The rope bindings on Noah's hands burst into flame almost instantly as Sylar threw a barrage of electricity at him. The metal chair served as a conductor, and in less then five seconds, Noah was on the floor convulsing. Sandra screamed, crossing the room and pulling Claire out as soon as she was able to move past Sylar, who was no longer paying attention to her.

Elle stood defiantly at the door, "No!" She screamed as she hurled her own stream of electricity at Sylar. Breaking his attack on Noah, Sylar sent a similar electric burst at Elle, leaning into the blow and trying to throw behind it all of his power.

They both stood, staring one another down, not daring to break the electric connection that flowed between them. Sylar yelled across the divide of the living room. "Think of them, Elle. Noah isn't dead and neither is Sandra. Hell, Claire probably won't even die from me taking a peek inside her head. It doesn't have to be like this!"

Elle gritted her teeth. Off to her side, at the doorway to the room stood Claire and Sandra with a bucket that was overflowing with water. "I'm afraid that it does have to be like this. Sorry."

And with that, she cut off her electricity and dropped to the floor as Claire and Sandra hurled the full bucket of water at Sylar. The water hit him square in the chest, splattering over his face and hands. The electricity that he had been throwing across the room now clung to him, shocking every inch of his form.

Now with this advantage, Elle stood. "You're never going to change, are you? You really are just damaged goods. But I'm not. Not anymore," Elle said as she raised her hands and poured as much voltage into Sylar as she could. Across the room, Sandra covered Claire's eyes, not wanting her daughter to see so much destruction.

* * *

Elle held her surge on Sylar for more than a minute, until his clothing had entirely melted away and most of his body had turned to burnt dust. As she let off, she looked over at Noah on the floor. "Sandra, Claire! Call 911 and get an ambulance. I'm going to take this somewhere far away. I need to take off what's left of his head."

Sandra nodded as she went to get the phone from the kitchen. Claire went to sit beside Noah, who had stopped convulsing, but was still unconscious.

With Sandra's help, Elle loaded Sylar's body into the trunk of her car. All that remained of him was from the torso up. As she went to get into the driver's seat, Claire stopped her.

"If he does regenerate, which I doubt he will, you'll have probably fifteen minutes before he can put that much of himself back together again. That's more than half of his body, and most of his vital organs," Claire said pointedly.

Elle nodded. "I just need to get somewhere a little more secluded. I don't want the paramedics showing up and seeing a beheaded man in your living room."

Claire smiled before wrapping her arms around Elle and pressing a simple kiss to her lips. Pulling back, she gently stroked Elle's cheek before looking back at the house. Elle could hear sirens down the street now. Getting in the car, she backed out of the driveway and started driving.

* * *

Sandra had managed to put the living room back together as convincingly as possible before the paramedics arrived. When they had asked what had happened to Noah, she explained that he had been playing with something on the television and it had electrocuted him. They seemed to be convinced as they loaded him onto a stretcher and into the back of the ambulance.

As she and Claire made the drive to the hospital, they were both quiet. In her head, Claire was silently blaming herself for everything that had happened today, and sat wondering what life would be like for her family if she were to leave them and move somewhere far away.

Sandra had other things on her mind. Though she doubted that Claire or Elle had even known she was there, she had seen their parting kiss as Elle drove off to dispose of Sylar's body. She cleared her throat, ready to initiate that conversation. "So, how long have you and Elle been together?"

"What?" Claire asked, snapping out of her reverie. She fiddled with her seatbelt uncomfortably, not meeting Sandra's gaze.

Sandra took a hand off the wheel to reach over and pat one of Claire's hands comfortingly. "I've thought things were different between you two for a while, I'd just never seen anything actually happen, until today. I don't mind, you know. Elle's a nice girl."

"Don't tell Dad," Claire suddenly pleaded, looking Sandra directly in the eye. "I don't think he'd like the idea of us being together."

"Oh, I honestly don't think he'd mind too much," Sandra said as they continued their drive. "But you didn't answer my question."

Claire looked down at her lap. "To be honest, mom, I don't even really know if we're together. I mean, we act like we are, but it's never been a spoken thing. We've never talked about it that way. I didn't want to force Elle into some sort of relationship when she's never had one before."

"But you do want one with her, then?" Sandra pressed.

"Yes," Claire said solidly. She nodded. "I guess her and I should probably have a talk about that later."

Sandra nodded in agreement. "You probably should. Maybe not today. Today's probably been very hard for her."

* * *

Elle took Sylar's head off with some sharp wire she had managed to buy at an outdoorsy supply shop on her way out of town. She had driven out here, to the same beach where he had once tried to end her life. Though she doubted the necessity of cutting his head off, since he hadn't even begun to regenerate during the half-hour drive to the beach, she did it for her own peace of mind. And to the thought of maybe, finally moving forward.

As she lit his body on fire one last time with her ability, she began to dig in the sand. She didn't want to leave whatever was left out here for anyone to find. It didn't take her as long as she thought to dig a suitable hole. The remains of Sylar's body were smoldering at this point. Elle walked back to the car and grabbed a blanket out of the trunk. She wrapped it around what was left and then dumped it, blanket and all, into the hole she had made. She spent the next twenty minutes covering it back up again.

It was late now. She walked back to the car with purpose, suddenly needing to be with her new family more than ever.

* * *

The hospital Elle arrived at was the same one she had woken up in after her own life-threatening encounter with Sylar. It sent shivers down her spine, but it couldn't be helped. She parked the car in visitor parking before walking inside and calling Claire.

"Where are you?" She asked without saying hello. It was hard to mask the urgency in her voice. She needed to see Claire, touch her. Let her know that everything was going to be okay now.

"Room 352B," Claire said, whispering through the phone. "Sorry I'm so quiet. Mom's asleep."

Elle smiled. "It's okay, I'll be up in a minute."

She took the stairs two at a time, because the elevator was far too slow. Room 352 was a corner room with a nice view for a hospital room. Noah lay in bed, hooked up to machines that were monitoring his heart rate and breathing. Sandra was fast asleep on a chair in the corner of the room, with a blanket pulled across her legs. Claire rose almost instantly from the uncomfortable-looking chair she sat in next to her father's bed, and crossed the room to Elle.

"I'm so glad you're here," Claire said breathlessly. "It took you longer than I thought it would. I was getting worried."

Elle wrapped her arms around the younger girl, giving her a gentle squeeze. "You don't need to worry anymore. You're safe."

"Yeah, thanks to you," Claire said admiringly. She reached a hand out to gently cup Elle's chin in her hands. "If you hadn't been there—"

"But I was there. And I'm always going to be there," Elle said softly as she stared Claire straight in the eye. "I promised your Dad that I'd protect you. I'm just keeping my promises."

"Always?" Claire repeated, looking at Elle in earnest. "Will you promise me that? Always?"

Elle smiled, thinking for the first time that she might just finally understand everything that Claire's words were asking. "I promise."

* * *

**Footnote: **Yay! Story complete. Now before you get all worked up, there is an epilogue I'm writing where everything will come full circle and really be complete. And instead of rewriting chapter four's NC17 version, I've decided to just incorporate all of the sexual themes into the epilogue so that I can move on to another story. I will be writing more Heroes fanfiction in the future (and it will of course be Elle/Claire), so keep your eyes open. Please review and/or favorite if you're digging it.


	7. Epilogue

**Lunar Eclipse**

**Epilogue

* * *

**

**Author's Note: **This was an awesome story to write and if you've followed it this long, then you're an awesome reader. Thanks for all of the reviews and adds to your favorites. This was the first fanfiction effort I've made in a really long time, so I'm glad that it was well received. Just as a heads-up, this epilogue is set two days after the previous chapter and it does contain graphic sex.

**Disclaimer: **Heroes and all of its associated content are property of Tim Kring. I am making no profit from this whatsoever.

* * *

Noah walked slowly, mentally noting any instance in which he felt even the slightest twinge of pain. The hospital had let him go that morning, and he and Sandra had driven home in comfortable silence. At the hospital, he had mildly entertained the idea of moving. This house had just as many awful memories as the last one at this point, and it might be time for a change of scenery. As he leaned on the railing to the deck, he heard the kitchen door open.

"Hey, Noah," Elle said as she walked purposefully across the deck to where he stood. Striking a similar pose against the deck railing, she looked at him thoughtfully. "I'm glad you're home."

"Me too," he agreed with a smile. "Thanks to you, of course."

Elle gave a soft laugh and looked down at the grass below the deck. "I wish you guys would give it a rest. I just did what I promised you I'd do when you took me in. That's all."

"Fair enough," Noah said as he turned around, leaning his back against the railing and looking at the house. "So what are your plans now? Sylar's gone, no more threats to Claire's life that I can think of. Sounds like your obligations are fulfilled."

"Are you kicking me out?" Elle asked, suddenly alarmed.

Noah laughed. "Of course not. You didn't just protect Claire this weekend, Elle. You saved all of us. You're as much apart of this family now as I am. Have you and Claire talked about this weekend at all?"

Though she knew Noah was referring to the whole ordeal with Sylar, Elle's thoughts flew back to the girls' night in the park under the trees where she had made love to Claire for the first time. "No, we haven't. But there are things I've been meaning to say."

"You'll work it out," Noah said, patting her shoulder reassuringly as he moved to walk back into the house. "And when you do, I think it would be nice if you told Sandra and Lyle. They have a right to know."

Elle let his words flow into her mind, trying to decipher what she knew was a hidden meaning. "Thanks, I think."

Noah smiled as he opened the kitchen door. "I can't think of anyone better for Claire than you, Elle."

* * *

The rest of the afternoon passed by agonizingly slow. As soon as Sandra made an offhand comment about picking Claire up from school, Elle had grabbed her car keys and said that she would grab Claire and be back in time for dinner. She parked in the first available parking space in the school's parking lot and waited as Claire walked out of the building, her arms filled with books.

"Hey!" Claire said happily, surprised to see Elle there. "I thought Mom was getting me today."

"She probably would have, if your Dad wasn't home," Elle said with a grin. Noah's homecoming had been a surprise.

Claire smiled widely before reaching over and hugging Elle. "My whole family, back together again."

Elle put the car in drive and began to drive out of the parking lot before turning to Claire. "I know you probably want to get home and see your Dad as soon as possible, but would you mind if we took a little detour? There's something I really want to do before we go home."

"Sure," Claire said as she reached over and removed one of Elle's hands from the steering wheel, linking it with her own and placing it in her lap. "You know, you could probably take me anywhere and I wouldn't mind."

* * *

Twenty minutes later after a short hop onto the interstate, the girls pulled up to a high-end hotel overlooking the ocean. Claire stepped out of the car, confused, and took Elle's hand as they walked toward the door. They approached the front desk, Elle still not giving Claire any indication of what she was planning.

"Hi, I have a reservation under Elle Bishop," Elle said as she handed the man at the desk her driver's license and credit card.

Claire looked at her questioningly, but Elle offered no explanation, just a smile and a reassuring hand squeeze. The man at the desk processed the order quickly before handing Elle a keycard and pointing toward the elevator.

They rode up, still in silence. The room was up on the sixth floor, and it had a stunning view. Not only could Claire see the ocean from the window, she could also see the beach and the cliffs in the distance. As soon as the door was closed and locked, she turned to look at Elle. "Are you going to tell me what this is about?"

"I just thought it would be nice to pick up where we left off the other night. After we were so rudely interrupted," Elle said as she took Claire's hands in hers and leaned in for a kiss. Claire smiled into the kiss, removing her hands from Elle's to put them on the back of the older girl's head and pull her closer.

Elle used her weight to push Claire down onto the king-size bed behind her. She kissed Claire slowly, wanting to savor every second of affection shared between them. Claire, however, had other ideas.

Claire's hands slid up underneath Elle's shirt, and Elle broke their kiss momentarily to let Claire pull it over her head and throw it to the floor. Resuming their kiss, Claire then began playing at the waistline of Elle's jeans, trying in vain to get the other girl's pants off as quickly as possible.

Elle broke their kiss yet again, standing up and removing her own jeans in a matter of seconds before lying down against Claire's body once more. Claire's hands traveled the length of Elle's back, slipping into the back of the older girl's underwear and resting there. Elle smiled before breaking the kiss once more.

"What?" Claire asked. She hadn't tried to take Elle's underwear off, not yet. Elle grinned before pressing a kiss to the younger girl's lips.

"You're wearing too many clothes. Not fair," Elle said. In response Claire sat up, grabbing Elle's face and pulling her close again. Elle's hands found the hem of Claire's shirt and pulled it up, breaking the kiss just long enough for the material to be removed and tossed aside.

In a matter of minutes, both girls were completely nude, Elle resting comfortably on top of Claire as they kissed. In a move that shocked Elle, Claire wrapped her leg around Elle's and then flipped them over so that she was on top.

"What's this?" Elle asked with a confused smile. Claire held Elle's hands above her head as she leaned down, lightly sucking and biting along the older blonde's neck. She was straddling Elle's hips, her tanned athletic body bathed in sunlight from the window.

"You got to be on top last time. Not fair," Claire said softly as she resumed their kiss. As things got heated, she relaxed her hold on Elle's hands.

Elle took the opportunity to snake a hand down between Claire's legs, gently massaging the younger girl's clit with her thumb. Claire moaned appreciatively, moving her hips to give Elle more access. The slight movement was all Elle needed to push a finger inside Claire.

Inside, Claire was warm and wet, and she tightened compulsively around Elle's finger. Elle resumed their kiss and continued brushing her thumb against Claire's clit as she stroked a finger in and out of the younger girl.

Claire's breathing quickened as Elle added another finger. "Is this okay?" Elle asked softly, using her free hand to stroke Claire's hair back from her face. Claire nodded, letting her hips rock against Elle's hand.

Elle snaked an arm around Claire's back to hold her steady as she sat up and pulled the younger girl closer onto her lap. She moved her fingers a little faster, and leaned down to gently take one of Claire's nipples into her mouth, sucking on it lightly.

Claire's moans increased in volume almost instantly, and she pressed herself needily against Elle's hand. Elle smiled as she lifted her lips from Claire's breasts to her face, pressing light kisses along the younger girl's jaw line. As she kissed closer to Claire's ear, she leaned close and murmured softly, "I'm in love with you."

The combination of the heat from Elle's breath on her neck, the tiny circles that Elle was rubbing against her clit, and the deliberate motions of the older girl's fingers inside of her had pushed Claire over the edge. She tightened around Elle's fingers spasmodically, wrapping her arms around the electric blonde's neck to steady herself.

Elle continued to press light kisses against Claire's forehead and temple as the younger girl slowly calmed. Claire heaved a very satisfied sigh as she rested her forehead against Elle's. Elle gently withdrew her fingers from the younger girl, and wrapped her arms around Claire's naked body so that they rested low on her back. The girls sat like that for a few minutes, just listening to the soft sound of each other's breathing and heartbeats.

Claire broke the silence first, pulling Elle's face to hers to kiss the older girl appreciatively. "I'm in love with you, too." Her eyelids drooped sleepily, and Elle couldn't help smiling at how utterly spent the younger girl looked.

"It took me a while to figure it out. I'm sorry it took so long," Elle said softly, rubbing gently circles against Claire's lower back. Elle began again, whispering softly against Claire's neck as she dropped slow kisses there. "I wish we could stay here, but I need to get you home before dinner."

Claire nodded, letting her body relax against Elle's for one final moment before untangling herself from the older girl. As she collected her clothing from the floor, she turned back to give Elle a stern look. "I really do get to be on top next time."

* * *

The Bennet family was just sitting down to dinner as Elle and Claire walked in through the garage. Sandra and Noah smiled and motioned for them to hurry up, while Lyle began helping himself to his dinner. Little was said between family members for most of the meal. As Lyle finished his second plateful, he offered to go get ice cream from the kitchen.

"So, how was school?" Noah asked in between mouthfuls of food. He looked at Claire pointedly.

Claire smiled slyly. "Oh, it was good. I'm seeing someone now."

Sandra feigned shock and put her fork down. "What? You haven't talked about anyone for months now!"

"Yeah, who are you talking about?" Noah asked, looking at her with intense interest. Lyle reentered the room with bowls and ice cream and even he looked mildly interested at what Claire had to say.

Claire looked over at Elle shyly before looking Noah in the eye. "To be honest, I've been seeing Elle for a while. We made it official today. And I'm kind of in love with her."

Noah nodded, looking down at his plate and fiddling with his fork before looking up again. "Well, I think you've made a good choice. Can I get some ice cream?"

Elle laughed as she passed the nearest container of ice cream down the table to Noah. Sandra winked at her and flashed her a sincere smile before grabbing for a bowl for her own ice cream.

Lyle was the only one not smiling at this announcement. "Everyone in the world has a girlfriend but me. Even my sister!"

"Maybe if you stick around during the next eclipse, you'll get one too," Noah said, feigning seriousness as he scooped his ice cream.

Claire squeezed Elle's hand reassuringly under the table. Elle looked at her, smiling. Though it had taken her a while to figure out what it was that she felt for Claire, she knew she had a lifetime to make up for all of the uncertainty and lost time. No matter what happened during the next eclipse, Elle had a feeling they would be just fine.

* * *

**Footnote: **Yay! Finally done! I hope all of you clamoring for a sex scene are pleased with the way that turned out. I certainly am. It's been a pleasure writing this story for you guys.


End file.
